Commercial and residential roofs are continuously exposed to the outside elements, which are often harsh or extreme. Even under moderate external conditions, these roofs are exposed to environmental or weather conditions that affect the ability of the roofs to insulate the building or residence interiors from the effects of the environmental or weather conditions. In many parts of the world, during the summer months, roofs are continuously exposed to high heat and sunny conditions under which the roofing materials absorb solar energy and retain high levels of heat. As the roofs absorb the solar energy and retain heat, the conditions inside the underlying buildings or residences suffer adversely, which often causes the interiors to heat up to uncomfortable conditions. In order to remedy these conditions, the buildings or residences often resort to increased amounts of internal insulation, or increased use of artificial cooling systems (e.g., HVAC equipment). However, increasing the amount of insulation has a limited ability to reduce heat transfer, and increasing energy costs make the increased use of artificial cooling systems undesirable or even cost-prohibitive.